Carousel Of Dreams and Darkness
by Broadway Evanescence
Summary: "Small things that bring children joy can kill another child, that played with the toy." Ravenswood is a school for children that can control certain elements. Fire, Ice, Myth, Storms, Life, and Death. Students start disappearing and it has something to do with a dark monument. Can Elphaba and her classmates use their powers to stop it? Or will it destroy them all... for good?
1. Choose Your Category

**CHAPTER I**

* * *

Elphaba ran while letting out a dark laugh. Her green skin contrasted with her deep black school dress. An ebony ribbon pulled her black locks into a neat pony tail. A few strands of hair escaped the ribbon's grasp and they framed her green face perfectly. Her chocolate eyes gleamed, even though she held no light in them. She resembled a fairy with her beautiful stature, despite her vine colored skin. The wind blew fiercely in Widowsbury and it made Elphaba laugh even harder. Her light feet pounded on the streets of the alley as she ran further and further into the abyss.

"Elphaba! Slow down!" Avaric called out. Elphaba groaned and halted. Avaric was panting even harder now. He rested his hands on his knees.

"You're weighing me down Av." Avaric rolled his pale brown eyes at Elphaba's stale statement.

"You're running too fast! I can't believe I'm saying this but... you're extremely fast for a girl." Elphaba kicked Avaric making him gasp in pain and then burst into laughter. Elphaba took in her enviroment. They were in one of the alleys quite far from their school. The sun never shined anymore, so the sky held a pale blue color to the grounds of the earth. Elphaba sighed.

"We should probably be getting back. Madame Morrible will have our heads for ditching this early." Avaric nodded and followed her back to the school. Elphaba lifted her finger, causing a thin weed to appear from the ground. Avaric tripped over it, falling flat on his face.

"Elphaba! You can't use dark magik on me! I haven't even learned that trick yet..." Avaric pouted. Elphaba smirked.

"I can teach you."

"You can?"

"Yes. You'll just have to be a good boy." They both laughed.

"I have been a good boy! But... if you get caught teaching me magik out of my category, you could get expelled." Elphaba's brow furrowed.

"When did Avaric Tenmeadows care about getting expelled?!" Avaric turned away in shame of his reputation being tainted by his words.

"I don't." They headed to Ravenswood Academy. Both of them tried to stay as close to the cobblestones as possible. They had to cross the barriers before they could reach their own buildings. There were barriers that separated each of the magik schools. Elphaba belonged to the 'Death' magik category. Avaric belonged to the 'Fire' magik category. Elphaba put her fingers through the openings of the gate, ready to climb up but Avaric pulled the bottom of her dress, forcing her to come down.

"What Avaric?!" Elphaba whisper-screamed.

"I got this." Avaric walked in front of her. He raised his hand and a red light appeared from his palm. He rested his hand on the lock and it started to melt beneath his fingertips. Elphaba crossed her arms and smiled.

"That was cute, but what will happen when Madame Morrible sees that the lock is just a puddle? She'll know that it was a Fire student." Avaric's smirk turned into a dumbfounded expression. Elphaba laughed and quietly walked inside, as if she was in no real hurry.

"Wait!" Avaric ran to her side. Ravenswood was a large dark piece of architecture covered in greenery. It was basically a castle with multiple windows. It almost cast a deep shadow over the entire courtyard. Elphaba walked past the fountain in the center of the court. Once they passed through the halls of the school, they went to the trails that led to the categories.

"Have fun in philosophy."

"Have fun in geometry." Avaric groaned at the reminder.

Before heading to class, Elphaba went into her room that she shared with her friend Galinda Arduenna Upland. They were not very close a few months ago. As a matter of fact, they hated each other with a passion. The two girls were complete opposites of each other. Not only did Galinda study ice magik, which was a brighter form of spells, she was a ditty blonde who was so beautiful and popular. Elphaba did not bother herself with the way she looked but she could not help but compare herself to her perfect room-mate. One thing Elphaba had over Galinda was her skill and passion for her powers. That was something she could be proud of. Because of their differences, their bond was unbreakable.

As soon as Elphaba walked down the dark hallway to her class, she heard footsteps. The sound became thicker and thicker every second. Elphaba turned her head from side to side. She had nowhere to go and the person was coming closer. She could not get caught outside of class. Her heart pace quickened and she closed her eyes. She chanted the same words over and over in her head. She took a deep breath and suddenly, she was gone.

Elphaba was still in the middle of the hallway, but she could not be seen. Her body was transparent and she pressed her back against the wall. It was a new spell that she was not very good at yet. Madame Morrible walked right beside her. Elphaba's body started to flicker like a dim candle. She held her breath. Madame Morrible sensed nothing and turned the corner. Elphaba gave a sigh of relief and walked to the classroom door without letting go of the spell. Elphaba looked through the little window that was on every classroom door in the school. Dr. Dillamond was writing on the chalk board, so Elphaba took this opportunity to run into the classroom and take a seat in the back of the class. The door to the room slammed shut and everyone turned their attention to it. It was the perfect distraction. Elphaba reappeared.

Elphaba took out a sheet of paper and prepared herself for the rest of class. Once the hour had passed, the entire class was assigned an essay that was due in two days. The other students groaned but Elphaba enjoyed the assignments that she was given. They were interesting and they helped her concentrate on important pieces of work. Elphaba grabbed her things and stood. She went out into the hallway. That was her last class of the day and the only one she refused to ditch. It was her favorite.

Galinda was walking with Pfannee, Milla, and Shenshen when she noticed Elphaba. Galinda beamed and she ran to Elphaba, forgetting about her recent conversation. Galinda's posse have never excepted Elphaba's... skin. They were also repulsed by her because she was a student of death magik and that was very rare and quite scary for a female.

"Elphie!" She called out. Galinda's sky blue school dress flowed with the breeze when she ran. Elphaba gave a small smile. "I wish you were in P.E. it was just awful! My hair was all over the place! I was in the bathroom for an hour trying to fix it." Elphaba frowned.

"I'm sure your hair looked fine."

"You always say that."

"I'm usually right." Galinda rolled her eyes. They walked to their room with their books and bags in hand.

"Today is the ceremony."

"Ceremony?"

"Yes! When the new students come in! I hope some of them are cute." Now it was Elphaba's turn to roll her eyes. Galinda's brow furrowed.

"You don't ever wonder about the new students?"

"Not really. I don't see why I should. They don't help me with my homework."

"But they could be nice! Or mean... well we could meet new people! It's not very often that you see a cute boy here."

"You don't think Boq is 'cute'?" Galinda wrinkled her little nose in distaste.

"Ew Elphie! Why in Oz would I think Boq is... cute?!"

"He does follow you everywhere you go." Elphaba suggested.

"I thought you knew me better than that Elphie."

Once they reached their room, Elphaba opened the door. They set their school materials down and Galinda sat on her bed. Elphaba picked up a book and started to read. Galinda took a nail file and started filing down her nails. After a few minutes of silence, which was rare for the two of them, there was a sharp rap on the door. Elphaba looked up from her book.

"Coming!" Galinda said in a sing-song voice. She opened the door and was face to face with Avaric. They both stared at each other for a moment. Galinda blushed and she turned away from the door. Avaric had to blink a few times to remember why he came to their room. He entered into the room.

"What do you need Av?" Elphaba asked while closing her book.

"You heard about that ceremony right?"

"What about it?"

"Come with me! Let's watch it!"

"Where are you going? Can I come?!" Galinda chanted. Elphaba gave Avaric a confused look.

"Students aren't invited this year Avaric. Only the families of the students are." Elphaba opened her book once more and Avaric walked toward her. He took her book and tossed it across the room. "Avaric!"

"I know a good place to hide! I am quite curious as to who these new students are."

"Great. Now you're using a broader vocabulary." Elphaba muttered earning a giggle from Galinda. Avaric's face became flushed but he quickly shook it away.

"We don't have all day. Boq is guarding the door for us."

"Let's go Elphie! Please?" Galinda begged with an adorable smile.

"Yeah ELPHIE." Avaric emphasized the nickname. Elphaba gritted her teeth.

"She can call me that. You can't."

"I won't stop calling you that unless you come."

"Fine. Let's go." Elphaba stood up but then remembered something important.

"I can't go."

"Why not?"

"I promised to help Nessarose study for her exam." Nessarose was a student in Storm magik. Her exams were quite difficult and with her unfortunate disability, she was unable to travel as quickly as she wanted to gather her books and notes.

"We'll just take her with us!"

"I know Nessa and she probably doesn't want to go. She would rather just study and get her work done."

"Just tell her Boq is there. She might change her mind." Avaric offered. Galinda became excited.

"Wait, Nessa likes Boq?!" Elphaba cringed.

"Yes. But don't worry about it. I don't want her feelings to-"

"Get hurt?"

"Yes. Boq likes Galinda."

"I can make him like her." Galinda said with a smirk. "Boq and Nessa would be so adorable together!" Elphaba sighed.

"Let's go."

* * *

After a few minutes of persuading, Nessarose agreed to join them. Even though she tried to hide it, she perked up slightly when she heard Boq would be there. The four of them traveled upstairs. There was no need to be quiet because everyone else would be busying themselves with the ceremony, especially Madame Morrible. Elphaba pushed Nessarose up the ramps that were beside some of the staircases. Within a few minutes, they had finally reached the balcony of the auditorium. Boq was waiting by the door. He was shaking. Once he spotted the group, he calmed himself.

"There you are! I thought you weren't going to show!" he whispered. Avaric playfully punched him in the shoulder. Boq was a student in Myth magik. Boq started to blush when he saw Galinda.

"Hi Galinda." He waved to her. Galinda sighed.

"Hello Boq." Galinda maneuvered herself around Nessarose and she pushed her chair a little closer to Boq. Nessarose gripped the sides of her chair because she was nervous. She looked at Boq and quickly looked away. Boq was not really aware of Nessarose's affections but he knew something was odd whenever she was around him.

"Hi B-Boq." Nessarose mumbled.

"Hi Nessa." He smiled. The group filed inside. There was a tall railing that surrounded the balcony. The group huddled close together in the small space. They looked through the railing and they could hear and see everything that was happening on the stage. Madame Morrible stood on the stage and cleared her throat.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the annual admission ceremony for Ravenswood Academy. I would like to thank you for..."

Her speech went on for quite some time. Elphaba was interested in the speech while the others were very bored. Avaric groaned.

"When will this end?!" He said. Elphaba shushed him.

"And now, I will call the following students to the stage to let their category be chosen." Elphaba remembers when her category was given to her. No one was really surprised, especially her father Frexspar. He did always called her a demon and a child of darkness, so her category fit her perfectly.

Elphaba calmed herself. She was used to her father's hatred but it still hurt her soul when she thought about his cruel ways. He treated Nessa like a princess and when her category was chosen in front of everyone, he was beaming like any proud father would. Madame Morrible started to call names. In front of the stage was a panel of teachers who taught each category. They watched while their students were chosen. To know what their category was, they would stand in the center of the stage for a few seconds and close their eyes.

In front of them were six colored bowls. Each had a symbol of the category. One bowl was red with a flame on it, yellow with a pyramid surrounding an eye, purple with a lightning bolt, blue with a snowflake, green with a leaf, and black with a skull. One of the bowls would glow and that student has chosen their category. They go to the bowl and pull out the trinket that represents their magik.

"Dee Dee Masae."

"Liir Hart."

"Trism Hinkus."

"Fiyero Tiggular."

A handsome young man with light chestnut hair and bright-colored eyes stood from his seat. He walks up the stairs and stands in the center of the stage. Elphaba watched his every move. Galinda gasped.

"Now HE is gorgeous!" she said a little too loudly. Avaric shushed her and Elphaba thought she could hear Boq sigh in defeat. Elphaba scoffed and continued watching the ceremony. Fiyero looked around. He did not close his eyes for some time. He just happened to look above the stage and he could see a hint of green. It was a person... or a girl to be more specific. Fiyero squinted to get a closer look but he was tapped on the shoulder. Madame Morrible clucked her tounge at his behavior.

"Focus young man."

"Sorry." he mumbled. Fiyero closed his eyes. His forehead wrinkled in concentration. He took a deep breath. The green bowl in front of him started to shimmer, then it glowed a white light. He opened his eyes and smiled.

"Fiyero Tiggular is a student of Life Magik!" Fiyero walked to the bowl and pulled out a gold necklace that was embedded with green charms. He smiled at his parents and he looked up again. He could no longer see that... green girl. It was probably his imagination. Little did he know that it was not his imagination and that the 'green girl' had hid herself from his point of view.

"Can we look up now?" Galinda asked. Elphaba peeked over the railing to see that the boy had left the stage. She nodded.

"Yes." They all groaned from bending their bodies in such an odd position.

"And that concludes our ceremony for the evening!" Madame Morrible declared. Parents started to leave the from their seats and they bid their children farewell.

"We need to go. Fast!" Avaric said. They all agreed and traveled down the noisy halls, avoiding any families or teachers that they saw. One by one they headed into their own bedrooms. Elphaba promised her sister that she would help her study the next night and they hugged each other goodbye.

* * *

Galinda jumped on her bed in her icy blue nightgown.

"Did you see him Elphie?! He is perfect! I can't wait to meet him!" Galinda said. Elphaba continued to read her book and she mumbled a few "yeahs" and "uh huhs" to let her friend know that she was listening. Galinda continued to talk about this 'Fiyero' all night as if he were the prince in every fairy tale. Elphaba was agitated enough because she had to deal with her sister's anger, but now she had to hear about this boy all night. She put down her book and took of her glasses. She set them both on the counter that divided the two beds. Her black night-gown swished as she did so. Elphaba laid herself on her bed.

"Goodnight Galinda."

"And his eyes! Did you see his eyes?! They were like sparkly gems! And his hair! Ugh! It was almost as perfect as mine..."

One thing Elphaba agreed with was his eyes. She could not get those orbs out of her mind.

* * *

**A/N: Please review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Ready To Leave?

**CHAPTER II**

* * *

_The two twins grabbed hands and ran into the woods. They laughed. The argument in the lunch room made them realize how much they truly needed each other. Both of them were suspended for three days but they would have to come back to Ravenswood after their suspension. They wanted to spend their last days of freedom doing exciting and thrilling things._

_They were now deep into the forest and they were not turning back anytime soon. They reached the middle of a small clearing. They looked around. They have never run this far into the forest before._

_"Hey Crope, look at that!"_

_"What?"_

_"It's a... a carousel!"_

_"In the middle of the forest? Don't be stupid..."_

_"I'm serious!" Tibbett turned in the direction that his brother was facing. It was actually a carousel. A large and old one to be exact. The animals that were used for riding were basically in ruins and its shaky form almost seemed impossible to ride on._

_"I wanna see if it still works!"_

_"I don't know if that's a good idea Crope. It looks really old."_

_"You scared or something?!" His brother intimated him. Tibbett scoffed at his brother's accusations._

_"No way! Race you to it!" Both of them ran to the carousel. They both made it to the carousel at the exact same time._

_"I made it first."_

_"No you didn't!" They analyzed the ride and they realized that there was no button to push. Tibbett jumped on one of the horses. Unlike a usual carousel, this one had multiple animals on it and not just horses. Crope decided to ride on a bear. After a few seconds, the carousel slowly started to turn._

_"It's moving!" It exceeded in speed. Crope and Tibbett were laughing loudly. The carousel went faster._

_"It's going really fast. I think I'm gonna be sick." The carousel went even faster. "Crope... Crope I can't get off!"_

_"Just jump!" Crope tried to remove his body from the porcelein animal but for some reason, he could not move at all. He felt paralyzed._

_"I can't move!" Both boys were fearing for their lives. There was nowhere to go. Because they were in the middle of the forest, no one could hear their screams. The carousel spun even faster. Steam started to escape from the bottom of the carousel._

_It slowed down. The carousel came to a stop. A dark mist filled the air. Crope and Tibbett where nowhere to be found._

* * *

Madame Morrible's voice rung throughout the entire building. "Good Morning students! Today I expect to see all of your bright and young faces in each and EVERY one of your classes. Unlike yesterday, we will have lunch in the cafeteria as usual. We all know what happened that day and I will greatly appreciate it if you all learn from those students mistakes. Just a reminder, please start working on your science projects for Doctor Nikidik. They are due in three weeks time. Have a great day!"

Elphaba groaned as she arose from her bed and took off her nightgown. She threw on her black school dress and she shoved her thin green feet into her flats with a strap over the front. She buckled it and thought about Madame Morrible's words. Galinda was still asleep and she had a sleeping cover over her blue eyes.

"Galinda?" Elphaba went to Galinda's bed. She shook her lightly. Galinda was snoring lightly. Her blonde curls managed to stay intact even when she was sleeping.

"GALINDA!" Elphaba shouted, waking her.

"What?!" Galinda removed the cover from her eyes and yawned.

"That was the morning announcement. It's time to get ready for class." Galinda groaned and laid back down.

"Galinda?"

"Yes Elphie?"

"Madame Morrible mentioned something about these students at lunch the other day. What happened?" Galinda raised up and rested her knees on the top of her covers. She looked to the sky as if trying to remember what happened.

"Oh yeah! Do you know Crope and Tibbett? The two twins?" Elphaba nodded to assure her recollection.

"Well, they started to argue about something and they started using their powers against each other."

"They were sparring?"

"No! They were actually trying to hurt each other! It was scary. They were eventually pulled apart but the cafeteria was destroyed completely! I don't know if they were expelled."

"I don't think they were. There have been other fights here." Galinda stood up and took off her blue nightgown. She put on her blue school uniform. She went to her vanity and decided to put her hair in a perfect bun with a blue butterfly clip in it. Elphaba took down her frizzy braid.

"Elphie? Can I do something to your hair? Please?!" Galinda said while patting her bun.

"Sure."

* * *

Elphaba walked to her first class with a curly ponytail. It was braided in the front and the braids contained sparkly black clips. Galinda pinned a black flower in the side of the ponytail itself. It was not her usual look, but she did like it, a little bit. Even though the clips were pressing into her scalp and it hurt to move her head, it made her feel more comfortable with her appearance.

"Do you like your hair?! The sparkles definitely bring out the color of your eyes. Black does look pretty on you! Although I think pink goes better with green."

"I love it Glin."

Avaric was walking beside Boq from the opposite end of the hall. Avaric's red school vest had some dirt stains on it. He never really cared about the way he looked. Boq wore a yellow school vest. Boq was also carrying his and Avaric's books. Avaric smiled when he saw Elphaba. He bit his lip trying to hold back his laughter.

"Hey Elphaba. I like your hair." He said. Elphaba ignored his statement.

"Boq, give Avaric back his books. Don't let him make you his slave." Boq looked in between Elphaba and Avaric. He started to tremble slightly. He did not know who to listen to, but he did know who he was more scared of. Boq gave Avaric back his books. Avaric huffed in irritation.

"That was cruel man. Very cruel."

"Sorry Avaric." Boq mumbled. He turned his attention to Galinda.

"Hi Galinda. You look very pretty today." Galinda giggled a little bit. Even though she did not return Boq's affections, she liked compliments.

"Thanks Boq." Avaric and Galinda locked eyes like they did the day before. Avaric coughed and turned on his heels to face the other direction.

"Well we should probably be getting to class." He said. "Elphaba, are you coming to that restaurant today? I'm ditching after 5th period."

"Sure. Meet me by the back." Galinda pouted her signature pout.

"There's a new restaurant?" she asked. Elphaba smirked.

"Yes. We only go for the deserts. I don't really like the other food they have there. It's all meat. Why? Would 'Galinda the Good' be interested in ditching class and coming along?" Elphaba smiled. Galinda poked out her chest.

"You don't think I'm..." She tried to find the right word, "BAD enough to go Elphie?"

"I didn't say you weren't bad enough. I know there's some darkness in you." Elphaba let out a quick laugh. Galinda smiled.

"I'm coming along to prove to you that I can be bad." Galinda stated proudly. Avaric smiled at the exchange.

"Cool. Elphaba, you should probably show her where we go to meet." Elphaba nodded. "Oh and by the way, do you remember that new student... Fiyero was his name?"

"Yes! I remember!" Galinda said. Avaric scoffed.

"He's my new room-mate. I used to share a room with the twins Crope and Tibbett but they didn't come back after that fight. They were probably expelled. I guess they gave their space to him." Galinda squealed and Elphaba just looked confused. She was aware of the consequences if your powers were used without permission, but there have been other fights. Why were they expelled?

"Make sure to ask Fiyero questions about what he likes. Then let me know what he says! I need to know EVERYTHING about him!" Galinda asked. Boq rolled his eyes. The bell rung and Madame Morrible walked around the corner. Boq noticed her first and ran down the halls to avoid confrontation.

"Mister Tenmeadows! Miss Thropp! Miss Upland!" she called out. The trio turned in her direction. "You should be in class! Don't make me have to write another detention slip for you two. But Miss Upland, I expect better of you." Galinda looked away in mock shame. She liked the feeling of being a rebel. Madame Morrible gasped when she looked at Avaric. "Mister Tenmeadows! Your vest is absolutely filthy! Come with me." She grabbed his ear and Avaric yelped in protest. Elphaba and Galinda giggled before bursting into loud laughter when Madame Morrible was out of ear shot. They both walked to math together.

* * *

Galinda had linked arms with Elphaba on the way to math. Professor Lenx was a boar who taught the math class. Elphaba liked all of her teachers. She also liked that they were Animals. It was a difficult subject to handle, but Elphaba knew of the hatred that some people had toward the Animals. People discriminated against them and it made Elphaba quite angry. Animals should be treated just like any other person would be treated.

"You okay Elphie?" Galinda asked.

"I'm fine Galinda." Once they reached their math class, Elphaba opened the door. Both girls entered the classroom. Professor Lenx smiled at the two of them.

"Good morning Miss Thropp. Good morning Miss Upland."

"Good morning Professor Lenx." They replied in unison. Galinda tapped Elphaba on the shoulder enthusiastically.

"Elphie... look!" Elphaba looked up. It was Fiyero and he was sitting at a desk in the center of the class. Elphaba remembered him from the ceremony. He wore a fresh green school vest, representing his category of magik. His eyes instantly met Elphaba's. His eyes widened slightly. Elphaba sighed. _Great. _She thought.

_Just another kid afraid of me because of my skin._

Galinda pulled Elphaba to the seats that were next to him. Galinda was blushing and Elphaba looked irritated. Both girls sat on the opposite sides of Fiyero. Galinda rested her chin on her manicured hands.

"Hi! I'm Galinda Upland from the Upper Uplands." Fiyero smiled a charming smile and extended his hand to shake.

"I'm Fiyero Tiggular. Nice to meet you." Galinda giggled and took his hand eagerly. Elphaba felt like she was going to vomit from Galinda's attempts to flirt with the new boy. Fiyero turned in Elphaba's direction and... smiled. He smiled that same charming smile. Elphaba felt a strong sense of heat brush against her cheeks. Was she... blushing?! Elphaba's eyes widened at the new discovery. She doesn't blush. This was so embarrassing! Her cheeks were not red like when Galinda blushes, they were a deeper shade of green now. Fiyero's brow furrowed in concern.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"I'm fine." She turned back around.

"I'm sure she's fine! Do you like it here? What's your favorite color? What's your favorite subject? Have you learned any new spells yet?"

The questions went on and on. Fiyero answered them with ease and if he was agitated from the constant question asking, he did not show it. During the conversation, he would turn to look at Elphaba but she was busy taking notes, trying to avoid staring into his perfect eyes. The bell rung and it was time to go to the next class. Galinda was very close to Fiyero and he was just smiling at her.

"I know you're new here, but my friends and I were going to skip lunch and go get food someplace else. Do you wanna come?" Elphaba was behind Fiyero and she was shaking her head to warn Galinda about her invitation, but she paid no mind. Fiyero thought about it for a seconds.

"Sure. I'd love to go." he responded. Elphaba did not expect him to say yes. He just got here. He probably did not care about his education like she did.

"Great! We'll show you where to go after your next class!" This was usually where Galinda and Elphaba parted ways. They had different classes from here on out. "Bye Elphie! Bye Fiyero!"

"Bye Galinda." he replied. Elphaba just waved.

"Your name is Elphie?" he asked. She shook her head.

"No. My name is Elphaba."

"Elphaba. That's... that's a really pretty name." Elphaba started to blush again.

"Thanks." she replied.

"Do you know where the Survey of Literature room is? That's my next class." Elphaba cringed. That was her next class too.

"Just follow me." she muttered. He did as he was told. She led him to the room. He opened the door and she walked inside.

"I didn't know this was your class too." he said with a smile.

"You just met me. There's a lot you don't know."

"I guess you're right." Elphaba sat in a random seat, hoping that Fiyero would not sit next to her. Her hopes were destroyed when he took a seat right beside her.

"Your friend is very nice."

"Who, Galinda?"

"Yeah. She's very friendly. And cute too." he said with a laugh. Elphaba smiled a little. The class begun and they started to take notes. Fiyero turned in Elphaba's direction.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did." Fiyero let out a nervous laugh.

"What category are you in?"

"I'm death magik."

"Oh. I've never heard of it."

"It was the black bowl with the skull on it. You saw it during your test."

"How did you know about my test?" Elphaba inwardly cursed her stupidity.

"I didn't. I just know it was there because I had to take a test too. Besides," she managed to change the subject, "you've never heard of it because it's rare for a student to be chosen as a death magik sorcerer, especially a girl. I'm the only female who's category is death magik." Fiyero nodded at her explanation, buying her excuse for knowing about the bowl. The rest of the class period continued in silence. Elphaba completed her assignment and sat up straight in her seat. Thirty dreadful minutes passed before the bell rung and Elphaba quickly grabbed her things. It was time to meet Avaric and Galinda but she then remembered that Fiyero was also invited. Elphaba turned to him.

"Are you still going to come with us?" She asked. Fiyero smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. Is it me or... do I have a feeling that you don't want me to go?" Elphaba smirked.

"I never said that. If you want to go, follow me." Elphaba walked out of the classroom and pretended like she was going to go to her study hall. She carried her books in her arm. Fiyero walked beside her. On the way to the back grounds of the school, people would stare at Elphaba and whisper to each other cruel things. Fiyero was aware of this and he even heard some of the things that were said. They only spoke about her skin. He would give them crude looks as they passed by. Elphaba started blush again when he did this. "You don't need to do that."

"They shouldn't say those things. It's not right."

"I can handle it."

"Well you're not. You just let them do it."

"Because I don't care what they say. By the way, you just met me. Why do you care about what they say?"

"It doesn't matter who it's toward, what they're saying is wrong."

"How do you know?"

"Because it's not about you. It's about your skin and I think... that it's fine." Elphaba stopped walking.

"It's fine?" She turned around to face him with her hand on her hip.

"Pretty even..."

"My green skin is... PRETTY to you?"

"Yeah..." Elphaba turned around with a huff continued walking. She was smart enough to know that he was probably lying. Once they reached the back door, Elphaba held up a finger to her lips to let him know that he must be quiet if they wanted to remain unseen. He nodded and she opened the door.

"Elphie! You're here- oh... Hello Fiyero." she said while waving at Fiyero, dismissing Elphaba's presence. Fiyero smiled and waved. Avaric coughed awkwardly.

"Are you ready to go or not?" he asked. The four of them walked along the cobblestone streets. Fiyero talked about how he is the prince of Vinkus and that when he graduated, he would become King when his father gave up the throne. Galinda listened with intent while Avaric pretended to yawn to make Elphaba laugh. Once they reached the little diner, Fiyero held the door open like the gentleman he was.

"Thank you Fiyero." cooed Galinda while Elphaba and Avaric mumbled a 'thanks'. When Elphaba and Avaric ditched their classes, they were never asked any questions. When they ordered food, the person serving them would be curious as to why they were not in school, but said nothing when Avaric gave them a tip. His parents sent over large amounts of money to aid him while he was away. The four of them ordered what they desired and sat down at a little booth in the back of the diner. Elphaba sat next to Avaric and Galinda sat next to Fiyero. Avaric clasped his hands together.

"So Fiyero, you train in Life magik, correct?"

"Yeah. It's kinda fun."

"How do you like it here?"

"I really like it. I was angry about my parents basically sending me away but, I thought I was going to get sent back home anyway. Like the other schools."

"They sent you away?" Galinda asked while batting her long eye lashes.

"I purposely acted up because I didn't want to stay there. They would expel me and then my parents would have to find another school." Avaric leaned in as if he were about to tell a secret.

"What would you do?"

"Well... I played a prank on a few professors." Fiyero smirked. This made Galinda swoon. She was happy to hear that her prince was a bad boy as she was a 'bad girl', or so she thought now that she was ditching class for the first time. They were a perfect match.

"What kind of pranks?" Elphaba was now interested.

"Putting a few pins in a teacher's chair. Breaking the legs to the principle's desk. Gluing a professor's shoes to the floor. You know, just the usual." he replied. Avaric let out a huge laugh.

"I think we're going to get along just fine." Their food came and they started to eat.

"I'm so glad you asked me to come 'Lin." Galinda's eyes widened.

"Is that a nickname?!" she asked. Fiyero stopped eating.

"I guess so. Is that okay?"

"Oh it's perfect! Now I need to find a nickname for you!" Fiyero laughed and finished off his meal, as did the rest of the group.

"We should probably get back to Ravenswood." Elphaba said. Avaric held up his hand.

"Woah! Let's not rush. I wanna see what the new boy can do."

"What do you mean?" Galinda asked.

"Let's spar."

"Spar?" Fiyero was confused. Elphaba shook her head.

"Avaric, he just got here. There's a specific class for sparring anyway. He'll learn eventually."

"Let's just give him an early start. I think it will be fun." Avaric replied with a laugh.

"I don't think that's safe." Galinda chimed in.

"No. I want to do it." Fiyero answered with no fear. Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"I got it!" Galinda cheered.

"Got what?" Elphaba questioned.

"Fiyero's nickname! I will call you Fifi! What do you think?" she asked Fiyero. He opened his mouth to speak but closed it. He did not know what to think.

"Uh... it's great." he responded with no enthusiasm.

"You ready Fifi?" Avaric asked.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! Please let me know what you think! Again, reviews are love!**


	3. The Fair Battle

**CHAPTER III**

* * *

The four of them traveled back to Ravenswood, but they sneaked around to the back grounds of the school. In the garden area, there were enough trees to cover where they were. No one could see them.

Fiyero had no doubt in his mind that he would lose the battle. Avaric rubbed his hands together with a cute little smirk on his face. Avaric's hands became red.

"You ready?" he asked Fiyero. He nodded.

"I'm ready."

"Get him Fifi!" Galinda cheered. Elphaba had her arms crossed with a worried look on her face. She did not agree to this foolishness and she was not ready to see the new boy in pain. She knew for a fact that Avaric was a greater fighter than Fiyero, as he had been trained in his magik for quite some time. Small flickers of light appeared in Avaric's hands. Those small lights grew into large flames. Fiyero's eyes widened.

"What?!" He screamed. "How are you doing that?!" Elphaba leaned her head in.

"Oh, we forgot to tell you that he's in the Fire category." she said.

"Right. You forgot!" He yelled back at her. Avaric laughed.

"Take it easy on him Avaric." Galinda warned. She was not going to let him hurt her new man. Avaric just winked at her. Galinda turned away, not just out of fear for the fight, but for the way Avaric made her feel. Every time he looked at her, it made her feel like butterflies were inside of her stomach. Galinda dismissed the thought when she was tapped on the shoulder by a green finger.

"Don't be scared. I know Avaric, he won't hurt him too bad." Elphaba attempted to calm her nerves.

"Too bad?" Galinda whined.

Fiyero straightened his spine and opened his hands. The leaves beneath his feet began to shake. He felt... dignified. The two started to circle each other. When Avaric moved to the right, Fiyero would move in the opposite direction. Avaric laughed.

"Are you gonna make the next move? Or should I?" he asked.

"I don't know." Fiyero replied. The flames in Avaric's hands disappeared and he took a step forward with his hands in the air to show that he was not going to do anything foul.

"I'll let you go first." Avaric offered. They were now face to face. The two boys were around the same height. Fiyero was about a half-inch taller even though he was still intimidated by Avaric. Fiyero nodded and closed his eyes. A few plants from the ground started to grow at Avaric's feet. The wrapped around his ankles and he just smiled at the plants.

"Is that all you got Fiyero?" He asked. Fiyero looked at the plants and then back at Avaric.

"This takes a lot of concentration." he answered with a smile. Avaric nodded and looked back at the plants. Within a matter of seconds, the weeds started to fizzle and then burst into flames. Fiyero's eyes widened and he backed away. The flames reappeared in Avaric's hands.

"I gave you a chance Fifi."

"You know, it's okay when Galinda calls me that, but it's wierd when you say it." Avaric surged forward and Fiyero dodged him quickly. Fiyero rolled to the ground but then jumped back up behind Avaric. Avaric swung back around to face him, swinging his hands back to strike Fiyero. Fiyero was quicker and threw himself to the left. Galinda and Elphaba watched with fascination as the battle started to heat up before their very eyes.

Fiyero tried to think of a spell to cast but before he could even remember the ones he learned, Avaric tried to attack him again. This time, Avaric threw a ball of fire at Fiyero's feet.

"Agh!" Fiyero jumped back in fear of the flames. They dissipated before they could burn the grass. A small flame was on Fiyero's shoe and he blew it out by tapping his toe on the wet grass.

"Think quicker Fiyero!" Elphaba shouted. Before Fiyero could nod to her, another blast of fire headed his way. Fiyero tripped and fell to the ground, avoiding the fire. His head hit the ground and he cried out in pain. He did not realize that his school vest was singed at the bottom near his stomach. He started to pant. A few drops of sweat trickled from Fiyero's forehead.

"I'm taking it easy on you Fiyero. Are you ready to give up yet?" Avaric asked sincerely. Fiyero considered the question. Should he give up? He was already losing. There was no way that he was going to beat Avaric at this rate. He shook his head.

"No. Not yet." Avaric pressed his lips together.

"Persistance. I like that!" he said steadying himself.

Fiyero watched Avaric closely. Avaric started to copy his movements, almost like a vulture hunting its prey. Fiyero bawled up his fists, causing a strong breeze to swirl around the two. The wind was so strong, that Elphaba and Galinda could barely see what was happening. Avaric's flames started to flicker from the wind. Avaric tried to get rid of the fear in the pit of his stomach. Fiyero lifted his left hand slightly, causing a tree root to wrap painfully around Avaric's foot. He gasped and the tree root threw him off balance. He fell down, hard. Avaric cringed in pain but quickly picked himself off of the ground. A few tree branches from the trees around them grabbed Avaric's hands and feet and hoisted him into the air.

Avaric closed his eyes and the tree branches started to burn. He fell back to the ground. Fiyero unclenched his fists. Avaric coughed and sputtered. The wind surrounding them started to calm and Fiyero wiped the sweat from his forehead. Elphaba and Galinda were in awe. Avaric stood and dusted himself off.

"You're a pretty good fighter for it to be your first day here." Fiyero shrugged his shoulders and extended his left hand.

"Good battle?" he asked to settle it between them. Avaric smiled and shook his hand.

"Good battle." he confirmed. Avaric kicked his leg out, tripping Fiyero and making him hit the ground. "I win." This made Galinda giggle and Elphaba roll her eyes with a smile. Even Fiyero laughed.

"Let's get back to class." Elphaba said. They walked to the front door of the school together, laughing and talking about the classes they hated and loved the most. They were so caught up in their conversation, that they forgot about them missing the entire lunch period.

"We have to be quiet now." Elphaba warned.

"Quiet?! It is too late for quiet Miss Thropp."

There, standing on the black steps of Ravenswood Academy for Magik and Spells, was Madame Morrible. The four of them were dead for sure.

* * *

_Shenshen, Milla, and Pfannee decided to take a little walk before they headed back to the Academy in the morning. The three of them held hands on their way to school. Unlike most of the other students, their friends and family already lived in the area, so there was no reason for a dorm._

_"I like your new coat Pfannee!" Milla complemented. Pfannee smiled at the comment and muttered a small 'thank you.'_

_It took them a few minutes to make it to the school but Shenshen stopped walking._

_"Let's go this way." she pointed in the direction of the forest. The other two girls were extremely confused._

_"Why that way? The school is that way!" she pointed ahead of them._

_"I know a fun short cut." she replied with a smirk and she went toward the forest. Milla was not at all intrigued by the idea of taking another route. She shook her head._

_"No. I don't think that's a good idea. We always take this way to school so why are we going another way?"_

_"Because this way works best! Are you scared Milla? If you want to go the usual way then do it. It's not like I need you to come." Shenshen taunted. Tears gathered in Milla's eyes. Pfannee was in between the two sides._

_"Come on Milla. You don't want to try this way? It might be better." Pfannee said. Hurt by Shenshen's words, she shook her head harder. She walked forward, ignoring the two of them. Pfannee felt horrible and she wanted run after her, but Shenshen stopped her._

_"Are you going to follow me or not?" Pfannee sighed and nodded. The two girls walked through the tall trees and into the woods. After a few minutes of traveling, Shenshen seemed lost._

_"Do you know where we're going Shen?" Pfannee asked. Shenshen scoffed._

_"Of course I know. The school is this way." They continued forward. They continued traveling for about twenty minutes before Pfannee became really scared._

_"We would have been at school by now!" she said._

_"Then turn around and go back if you want!" Shenshen shouted back at her, trying to hide her own fear as well. She knew for a fact that she was lost but she could not show that. She was too proud to show it. They came to a clearing. The two girls looked around. Shenshen pointed in a random direction. _

_"Shenshen! Look out!" Shenshen hit her head on something tall. She turned around to face a carousel._

_"What is a carousel doing in the middle of the forest?"_

_"I don't know... but it looks fun." Shenshen climbed on top of one of the animals. _

_"Shenshen I don't think you should ride on that. It might break." Shenshen rolled her eyes. The carousel started to spin. _

_"It's moving!" she cheered. Pfannee smiled and stepped upon one of the animals. The carousel spun even faster. Soon, the girls started to laugh. The breeze blew onto their skin, making them feel alive and slightly dizzy. It spun faster._

_"I don't feel good Shen."_

_"Me... Me neither." Their speech was slurring. Pfannee covered her mouth as if she were about to vomit. The horse that she was riding on started to tremble. It's eyes started to glow a blood-red color. Their moaning turned into blood curdling screams. The carousel stopped. _

_Blood leaked from the animals they rode on. Both girls disappeared._


	4. A Few Punishments

**CHAPTER IV**

Elphaba picked up a piece of rotten food from the floor. She groaned in disgust. It was already 9:00 at night and she was exhausted. She rubbed her tired brown eyes. Elphaba, Fiyero, Galinda, and Avaric's punishment was that they had to clean the entire cafeteria alone. They could not leave until you were able to "lick the floor" as Madame Morrible put it. It had to be spotless. Avaric threw himself to the floor with a loud yelp.

"I can't stand that... witch!" he screamed. Elphaba threw an apple core at his face.

"Could you be any louder?!" she whisper-screamed.

"Elphie's right. If you're going to bad mouth Madame Horrible then you should be quiet about it." Galinda said with a sincere smile.

"I think you mean Madame Morrible." Fiyero corrected.

"No. I meant what I said and I said what I meant Fifi." she replied. Elphaba sighed and put some more rotten food into the filthy sack that she was holding. Fiyero sat down in defeat.

"We'll be here till morning! Isn't there a spell that someone can cast to clean this mess up?" he asked. Avaric looked to Elphaba. She looked around as well.

"Why are you looking at me?"

"If anyone knows a spell that can clean this place up, it's you." Elphaba racked her brain to find some kind of spell.

"I don't think I should. All spells have an effect after they are cast."

"Come on Elphie! Can you just try one?" Galinda whined. Elphaba sighed.

"I don't know if this one works but I'll try." Elphaba stood in the center of the lunch room. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together. She then opened her eyes. Every item that she looked at started to fly in the air and she moved them to the garbage. Fiyero watched her intently with a smile on his face. Within a few minutes, the entire cafeteria was indeed, spotless.

"Yay!" Galinda threw her hands in the air. Avaric wiped the perspiration from his brow and gave a sigh of relief.

"Can we go to sleep now?"

* * *

Elphaba, Fiyero and Galinda headed to class. Galinda had her arm wrapped around Fiyero's. They were extremely close to each other. Fiyero was smiling the entire time. Elphaba was not sure if they were... together, but she tried to ignore them. She had no idea it bothered her so much. She could not subside the bubbling jealousy in her stomach. Elphaba opened the door to the classroom and they filed inside. Galinda stopped dead in her tracks.

"What's wrong 'Linda?"

"Glin?" Galinda tapped Elphaba's arm and pointed to Milla. Tears were streaming down her pretty face and she was sobbing quietly to herself. Galinda quickly walked to her friend and took her hand.

"Milla... are you okay?" Galinda thought that it was her job to brighten people's day. She had a bubbly quality about her that made people smile. Milla shook her head.

"Pf-Pfannee and Shenshen are g-g-gone... I knew I shouldn't have let them go." Galinda's blonde brow furrowed.

"Go? Go where?" Elphaba and Fiyero stood helplessly behind. They had no idea of what was going on. Galinda turned to face them with a distraught look on her face. Galinda sat beside Milla during the entire class period. Dr. Dillamond was writing on the chalk board when two men came in. They wore emerald-green uniforms with gold laces and badges of some kind.

"Excuse me Dr. Dillamond?" one of the men said. Dr. Dillamond turned around.

"Yes?"

"We need to have Milla come with us." he replied.

"What is the meaning of this?" he obviously did not realize that Milla had been crying this whole time.

"It's classified sir. Milla, come with us." She nodded and stood up from her seat. She followed the men out of the room and she did not return to the class. Galinda looked worried. After class Elphaba took Galinda's hand.

"Glin, what did she tell you?" Galinda looked from side to side. Fiyero followed them out into the hallway.

"What's going on?" he asked. She pulled them in closer.

"Milla, Pfannee and Shenshen were on their way to school when they got into an argument. Pfannee and Shenshen took another way to school and they never came back. Milla said that... they haven't been seen since last week." Elphaba's eyes widened. Fiyero leaned in closer.

"Maybe they're just ditching." Galinda shook her head.

"The wizard's guards have been looking for them all over," tears gathered in Galinda's eyes, "They haven't found their bodies yet."

"Galinda don't assume the worst." Elphaba said. Galinda wiped a stray tear and nodded.

"You're right, as usual." she said while smiling. "I have to get to class. See you at lunch?" Galinda asked. Elphaba and Fiyero nodded. Galinda turned on her heel and walked to her next class.

Elphaba walked to class with Fiyero. He looked to the ground. Elphaba watched him.

"Are you thinking about Galinda?" Elphaba attempted to make a joke with a smirk. He smiled.

"No I'm just... kind of worried. That girl seemed really upset. I don't even know her friends and something doesn't feel right. I also don't like the way it made Galinda cry either." Elphaba nodded.

"I just think it's weird that two more kids have gone missing."

"Two more?"

"Yes. Two other boys named Crope and Tibbett never came back to school after being 'expelled' but I don't buy it. They were Avaric's room mates." They made it to their classroom. Elphaba could not stop thinking about the strange affair.

* * *

Elphaba and Avaric decided not to go out for lunch that day. Elphaba believed that it was too early to leave the school again after their punishment. The two of them sat with Galinda, Boq, Nessarose and Fiyero. The table was silent. The two guards from earlier this morning came in with Milla. Her eyes were red from sobbing. She sat down at a table alone. The guards left.

"What's wrong with Milla?" Nessarose asked.

"Her friends Pfannee and Shenshen have gone missing." Elphaba answered. "They probably took her in for questioning."

"I really do hope they're okay." Galinda chimed in. Avaric took her hand awkwardly.

"I'm sure they're fine." he pulled away. Galinda almost seemed, disappointed when he let go of her hand. Fiyero paid no mind but Elphaba raised an eyebrow at both of them. Boq frowned.

"It'll be okay Galinda." He said while sitting in between the two. Galinda rolled her eyes and continued eating. Madame Morrible came into the cafeteria and stood in the middle of it.

"Students! Students please quiet down!" she boomed. Everyone turned in her direction. She cleared her throat.

"For the next few days, I would like all of you to go straight to your dorms, and if you live in the area, walk directly home. Do not go to the park, do not go into the neighborhood, do not talk to friends. Go straight home. Am I understood?"

"Yes Madame Morrible."

Elphaba stood up from her seat. "Why?" Galinda tried to bring her down.

"Elphie. Don't."

"Excuse me Ms. Thropp?" Madame Morrible questioned.

"Why can't we go out? We might be students, but we deserve to know why we can't go through the neighborhood."

"Watch. Your. Tone Ms. Thropp." Madame Morrible warned her with emphasize on each of her words.

"I am so _sick _of these teachers always-" The cafeteria started to shake. Elphaba stopped speaking and looked around, as did everyone else. The trash cans exploded. The rotten food from the night before was everywhere. The students started to scream. Everything became still. Madame Morrible was covered in food of all kinds. Elphaba's mouth was wide open. Galinda covered her mouth with one hand. Avaric tried not to laugh. Nessarose pulled Elphaba's hand.

"Look at what you've done!" she whispered.

"I guess that was the effect you were talking about." Fiyero said.

"ELPHABA THROPP! COME WITH ME!" Elphaba closed her eyes and groaned. This day was not going well at all.

* * *

Elphaba was sent to detention. It was much better than the basement, where the treacherous students were sent to. There are rumors that voices and screams can be heard at night coming from the basement. Madame Morrible would throw the troublemakers into that room and lock them inside. She would not let them out until they "learned their lesson". Elphaba did not believe any of these. She was in the room with two other students.

"Hey look, it's the artichoke." One boy said. The girl next to him laughed. Elphaba wanted to cast a spell that would make both of them stay quiet but she was already in enough trouble. Even though she did not believe in those rumors about the secret room, she did not want to find out. Rumors always come from some place truthful.

Elphaba looked to the door of the room and she saw a head of chestnut-brown hair.

_Fiyero..._

_'What was he doing here?'_ Elphaba thought. _'Did he come here for... me? Oh don't be a fool Elphaba.'_

The door opened and he peeked his head through. When he saw her, he smiled and stepped inside. He took a seat and pulled it up next to her desk.

"Fiyero?! What are you doing here?"

"I should be asking you the same thing." He smiled. Elphaba shook the shivering feeling in her heart.

"You know why I'm here. You where there."

"I think what you did was right. We're just as important as any other teacher here." Elphaba looked away.

"I guess they want to protect us from whatever took those students."

"They should tell us that instead of keeping it a big secret."

"You should go before someone catches you here."

"I don't care about being caught. You shouldn't be here alone." Fiyero said while looking down. Elphaba started to blush. She rested her head on one of her hands with a frown. Fiyero leaned in.

"I wanted to ask you for a favor."

"What?"

"I wanted to know if you could teach me some of those death magik spells."

"Fiyero, I can't just show you the spells. They're hard and even if I taught you how to cast one, you can't use those spells in front of Madame Morrible."

"I won't. I promise." There was an awkward silence. "So... what are we waiting for?"

"You mean now?"

"You thought I meant later?" he laughed. Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"Let's just hurry before Madame Horrible comes back." Fiyero took Elphaba's hand and led her out into the hall quietly. The heat of Fiyero's palm pressed against her green one was exhilarating.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the late update. I also wanted to let you know that this school was for younger students like maybe 15 or 14. Whatever you think is best is fine for you. Please review!**


	5. Deep Into The Forest

**CHAPTER V**

* * *

They spent a few hours there. Elphaba taught Fiyero so many spells at one time. She might not admit it, but she was almost trembling from the excitement. Elphaba did not really smile, but she could not deny the fact that it was inspiring to share her knowledge with a newer student from a completely different category. Not only that, she got chills whenever she was around Fiyero. Every time he gave her that perfect smile, it hit her in the heart. It was comforting.

"So... like this?" Fiyero asked while holding up his hands. A black light started to form in his palm. A ball of black smoke started to grow and grow until his hand could not be seen. The light then shot out, aiming at a tree but it suddenly dissipated, like a firecracker burning out. He sighed and put his head into his hands. Elphaba laughed and took his hands.

"You need to be more confident. You're not as bad as you think you are. But I think that's enough practice for today. Let's get back to the detention room." Fiyero nodded and looked at their hands that were now intertwined. Elphaba blushed and pulled her hands away. She turned her back to him and headed toward the school. As much as Fiyero wanted her to stay with him, he knew how serious she was about her school work. He did not want her to be angry with him if she got caught. Something about her made Fiyero extremely shy. He was not a shy boy. He was outgoing and no one has ever made him feel so small. It was not a negative feeling. He did not mind it, he was just not accustomed to it. Whenever he was around the green girl, his chest tightened and all he could do was smile. Elphaba led him through the courtyard and they entered into the building.

* * *

Galinda sat in her room in her blue nightgown. She had her hands crossed in her lap. She was on the brink of dissolving into tears but she refused to do so. She thought about her friends. She just wanted them to be alright but she knew that something was terribly wrong. No one just disappears for absolutely no reason. Something awful had to happen. She overheard some of the guards discussing the matter. They thought that the students were just playing a prank or ditching school but their parents are worried sick.

Galinda checked the clock that was on top of the desk in between her and Elphaba's bed. It was late and her best friend had not returned yet. She started to worry even more. She looked out of her bedroom window. She could see the gates of the school and a street lamp that lit up a corner of the pavement. Galinda sighed and looked at her lap. Galinda heard a rattle in the bushes. She looked out of the window.

She could see a slim figure moving through the trees. Galinda assumed that it was a girl and it was. The girl turned her head around to see if anyone was following her and the street lamp illuminated her face. It was Milla. Galinda stood up from her bed and watched Milla make her way through the bushes. _Where was she going at this hour?_ Galinda thought. _Is she going to search for Pfannee and Shenshen? _Something told her that this was the case.

Galinda grabbed her blue shawl and wrapped it around her shoulders. She opened her bedroom door and stepped out. Galinda hid behind a corner. She peeked around it and made her way through the courtyard. All of a sudden, she was grabbed by her hand and pulled back. Before she could let out a scream, her mouth was covered.

"Calm down! It's just me!" whispered Avaric. Galinda gave a sigh of relief and held onto her chest as if her heart were about to burst.

"Don't do that! You scared me!" Avaric smirked and shrugged his shoulders. "Where did you come from?"

"I just come out here to get some fresh air. I was waiting for Fiyero to come back but he hasn't yet."

"Neither is Elphaba..." Galinda mumbled.

"Where are you going?"

"I saw Milla. She was going out into the street. I wanted to see where she was going."

"Let's go then."

"Who said you could come?" Galinda asked while putting a hand on her hip.

"I invited myself. Do you want to lose her?"

"Just hurry up and be quiet." Galinda turned on her heel and made her way into the street. No one was around but a few shop owners. They were closing their shops. Other people were walking to their homes. The Wizard did not want people out after 9:00 p.m. No one knew why, but they knew not to question the Wizard. Both of them had to be quiet if they did not want to be caught. Galinda took Avaric's hand and pulled him deeper into the forest. His eyes widened slightly at her enthusiasm but he understood that she was worried about her friend.

Avaric saw a hint of light brown. It was hair.

_Milla..._

"Is that her?" he whispered. He pointed to the girl running through the trees. Galinda nodded and made her way to Milla. Avaric followed close behind. He was right on Galinda's sparkly blue heels. They made their way to a clearing. Galinda was about to call Milla's name but Avaric pulled the sleeve of Galinda's nightgown. She was about to protest when she saw a large carousel in the middle of the clearing. Galinda looked to Avaric.

"Do you see that?!" Avaric looked at the carousel.

"Yeah... I do. What the hell is that doing there?" Galinda blushed at his foul language but never commented. She turned back around. Milla went toward the ride as if she was in a trance. Galinda stepped forward. Milla got onto the stage of it. She looked around. It started to spin. Out of shock she grabbed the tall pole on the side of her. It spun faster. Galinda made her way to the ride.

"Milla! Milla what are... you..." Galinda's voice trailed off as she realized that something was terribly wrong. The carousel started to glow a deep red color. The color of blood.

"Oh my unnamed God.." Avaric mumbled. Milla started to scream. She held on tighter, which was ironic since she was trying to get off. Her body jolted to the edge of the stage but no matter how hard she tried, she could not release herself from the ride. What happened next, shocked the two of them to their core.

Large claws from beneath the ride reached out and grabbed Milla. The two claws pulled her down into the ground. She cried and screamed to the top of her lungs. Avaric's mouth was wide open and Galinda's skin was now pale. Before Galinda could say anything she fell to the floor. She was unconscious.

"G-Galinda?" Avaric went to the ground and tried to shake her awake.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the late update! Please review!**


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